The Notebook on the Bed
by Whoops-C
Summary: Lance plus boredom equals: chaos. It was a dull afternoon that motivated Lance to start this chaos upon finding that all his teammates were too busy to hang out with him, even that "moody mullet jerk" Keith. Driven mad with an unnatural amount of manic energy and no way to vent it, he finds himself in the room of his long-term rival, and finds a small, leather notebook...
1. Chapter 1

**Ahhhh my gosh my life is a mess.**

 **First of all, I'm sorry about the fic "Strength of Broken Glass" and not being able to update that yet. Right now I'm battling between studies and the Klance week on Tumblr (You should check it out, there are really good submissions). This is my submission to Klance week, and every chapter is one prompt.**

 **Also, I posted this earlier but it glitched. Thanks to Yemi Hikari and Tratie4thewin for that out.**

 **Please enjoy and leave polite criticism!**

"Sorry Lance. Maybe later, okay?"

 _I'm getting really fucking tired of hearing those words in that order._ I thought grumpily, as I was rejected for the third time that day by Hunk, my right hand man (or left foot man, am I right? Hahaha I know you're laughing).

Seriously though, I was already ready to blow when Shiro turned me down for battle planning. Battles? Really? Zarkon's taken over most of the universe, all we gotta do is choose a ship and blow it up. But now Hunk? This was going too far.

'But why man? I trusted youuuu.' I complained, stretching the 'you' just enough for it to be annoying, but not considered a whine (you pick up a lot of stuff when you come from a family of nine). It was usually enough with most people, like older siblings, babysitters, and Pidge.

But Hunk knows me way too well. The guy's like a stone wall, physically and emotionally. For my number one hugger, he really won't budge if he doesn't want to.

"I'm sorry, bud. But ever since that stunt with that Balmera, with the gasoline tank Pidge rigged, this pod's been having problems." He taps the side of the pristine white ship with his gloved knuckle. "Seeing as we don't really have renewable Altean resources, it's up to me to keep it up and running right?"

"Yeah, but you're like, my best friend! Can't Pidge do it?"

"Didn't you already ask Pidge to hang out and they shot you down?"

Wow. Thanks Hunk. I got absolutely roasted by Pidge about ten minutes ago when I tried to get them to chill with me, and I still hadn't recovered. They're small, but damn their roast game is fire.

"How the quiznack do you know that?"

"They told me. I was talking to them five minutes ago when she told me how you were looking for people to relax with. Why don't you just do what you always do, just kick back with a nunvill or whatever?"

"I've been doing that every day since we got here, and it gets dull after a while. Come on, Hunk. For me?" Puppy-dog eyes activated, and I added a pout for good measure. Not even the toughest chicks were able to resist it.

Except; Hunk wasn't a chick, and puppy-dog eyes don't work when you're seventeen, on your best friend since elementary school.

"Not today. What about Keith?"

"What about him?"

"Why don't you hang out with him? He doesn't have anything of major importance on his schedule. I'm sure you guys could find something to do together."

"Hunk. I. Am. Absolutely disgusted that you would even mention that!? That guy's my biggest rival since Garrison!" And it's the truth. Keith is my number one rival, and the thought of me, just casually talking and hanging out with him, made me feel weak. Weak as in sick and revolted, or course.

"Dude, we're gonna be all stuck together on this castle ship fighting aliens for a while. You might as well get to know him better." With that, Hunk snaps on his technician goggles and crouches by an open panel, fiddling with the multicolored wires and switches.

I know Hunk enough to know that he wouldn't give me any more straight answers when he's trying to work. I just walked right out of the bay.

* * *

For a giant, magic spaceship palace thingy, this place sure gets dull after a while.

I wandered the halls absentmindedly. Everyone was busy but me, and I'm the kind of guy that has too much energy for my own good. ADHD is not good to me, and unless I'm really committed and calm, most of the time I have to be moving or talking or just have some way to vent my energy.

That's what somehow lead me to the outside of Keith's door.

Truth is, I wasn't even thinking about it. I didn't even know where I was headed, except I suddenly stopped and found myself right next to the room right next to my bathroom, which was Keith's.

Now you may be thinking: What's going on Lance? I thought you hated Keith? Why are you right in front of his room? And let me tell you; I don't hate Keith. I have a very strong dislike of him, but I don't hate him. As annoying as he is, with his stupid mullet and messed up hygiene habits (I'm pretty sure he only took a shower like three times since we found ourselves here) I don't hate him. I guess it's because we're paladins now, or whatever?

As I was thinking about how the hell I got there (which generally starts a train of thought that goes on and on and on and on) I saw a familiar shadow on the wall and an even more familiar voice calling my name.

"Lance? Where are you?"

 _Oh Jesus Christ, it's Coran._

No don't get me wrong, I love Coran as much as the next Space Defender. But I'm sorry, after the cryo-pod fiasco with the crystal and whatever, I was not ready to relive the experience. The chances that Coran heard about me being bored with nothing to do and was looking for someone to help him clear whatever were high enough to send me headed for the nearest room.

Keith's room.

I shot in and shut the door, just as I heard Coran's footsteps pass by and fade away.

 _Hell yeah._

As I peeled my ear away from the door, I looked around the room, 'cuz you know, why not? And the first thing I thought was; Damn, this kid is messy.

You see, in the castle we have a cool thing where we just dump our clothes in this little bin and it cleans and dries them for us overnight. But Keith? He still found ways to pile dirty laundry around his room, in the form of bedding and towels. Seriously, just because we have unlimited towels and blankets, does not mean you can just dump it on the ground when you're done.

I got even more pissed off when I noticed that he dumped stuff on his bed too. A crumpled up white towel right next to his pillows, a corner of it sitting on the floor. Being the conditioned freak I was for being clean (thanks mom), I found myself walking towards it.

 _Ewww…It's not even completely dry yet._

Pinching the edge of the nasty thing, I lifted it up and shook it out a little, and noticed something tumble out of it onto the bed. A small, black, rectangular something.

What- a notebook!

I snatched it up and dropped the towel. Already my mind was racing through possibilities of what this baby might hold, and all of them were good. Diary, journal, memoir, it was ALL things I could use. Hey, even Emo Edgelord had to have an emotional side right? And I had a feeling that this little book was what told me where that was.

I sat myself down onto the bed, pushing aside that gross-ass towel as I did so. It was a leather notebook, rubbed smooth by use. The paper was old and yellowish, and kinda crinkly. I rubbed my sweaty palms off on my jacket; don't want to leave evidence. I turned to the first page.

Nothing but dates, numbers, data, and records. Most of the scribbly black writing just talked about rocks, weird energy sensations, and how much money was left for soup. So far, nothing interesting.

Then I flipped to the middle.

 _I don't really write about anything personal like this, but today something weird happened…_

"Jackpot" I whisper, reading the feathery words. Now we were getting somewhere.

Footsteps thumped by the door.

"He might be hiding in one of the rooms, Coran."

"I've already checked his room, the bathroom, and the training room. He's nowhere to be found, number five."

"Did you check anywhere else? For all we know, he could be chilling in one of our private rooms." Pidge's voice was obviously annoyed, and I had a feeling Coran enlisted them to help him find me.

"Maybe you're right. I'll go check Hunk's room. Why don't you check yours?"

"I just checked mine. I'm going to see Shiro's." They walked off, one set of feet to the right, one set of smaller feet to the left.

I wasn't about to let myself get caught sitting on Keith's bed, in Keith's room, holding Keith's diary with my finger in his personal thoughts. No way I was small enough to fit in the vents, and the only place for me to go was out. And where would I go when I was out?

Blue.

Oh duh. As a Universe Defender, why shouldn't I use my privileges of a giant magic robot lion? I crept out into the hallway and made my way to Blue's hangar.

* * *

Once safely inside of the cockpit (with several close calls with Shiro and Pidge) I kicked my feet up and started on the first entry I found that wasn't boring.

 _Three days after being a Paladin (I think?)_

 _I don't really write about anything personal like this, but today something weird happened…yesterday Pidge sabotaged Sendak's plans and saved the castle, but as big as that is, the more important thing is that I actually had a moment with Lance. We didn't bicker for once, and I think we really bonded. I helped him get to the cryo-pod, carrying him princess style, and even helped him get dressed into those pajama thingies for being worn in the cryopod. My problem today is, he didn't remember. Any of it._

 _I guess it's only natural. But I feel disappointed that he forgot. I haven't told anyone but Shiro how I felt yet, but…maybe he purposely forgot because I told him I didn't remember him back on earth. But truth is, I did remember. I was afraid if I told him, I would lose sight of what my goal was at the moment._

 _I noticed him back at Garrison when we were doing training courses. He was the skinny Cuban kid, and I was the skinnier Korean. And we were rivals right off the bat. But I kept seeing him as something more then a rival, as something more then a classmate. Even now I don't know how do describe it, but the closest thing I have is love?_

 _It cheesy. I feel stupid just writing this, but every time I feel him I feel warm, like I just got a hug. I don't know, it's his stupid jokes, his stupid laugh, but…I want to tell him somehow. Shiro told me the best way is to practice writing letters and poems, and then tell him when I'm ready. And as annoying as Shiro is sometimes, I trust him. So, here goes:_

 _Dear Lance,_

 _I know that you consider us rivals, but_

 _I know that you may not like me, but I really_

 _I_

 _You might hate me, but I have to tell you that I really and truly_

 _Forget it. I'm terrible at writing letters. I'll just try the second option of poetry._

* * *

That was the end of the first page, and I was in shock.

It's one thing to have a rival and try and find ammo in their personal diary, but it's a totally different thing to find out that he's gay. For you. My chest twinged a little, and I felt guilty about being so mean that day when i got out of the cryopod.

Truth is, I did remember being carried by Keith. I remember my legs giving out, and Keith scooping me up princess style before I passed out in his arms. I hadn't admitted it then, for the exact reason Keith had written the tiny book in my hand. The book that now told me everything I wanted know and more. The crazy thing was? It made me happy.

Years at Garrison wondering what Keith thought about me, hoping he saw me as a suitable rival and equal. Hoping to be more then just an equal. I just didn't expect it like this. My bisexual ass was happy about this, and I'll be damned if I didn't have some vague feeling of admiration for Keith. But love?

I wasn't sure about love. I liked Keith, but after seeing him as an enemy for so long, I couldn't see him as anything else. Maybe I liked. He definitely liked me. But I didn't know if I wanted to really be with him, commit with him. Did I?

I shook it off. I told myself I was just confused, and as pretty as Keith was, I wasn't too attracted to him. He was a friend now, and nothing more. My fingers flipped to the next page as I thought this, but even as my eyes becan on the words, something warm in my chest told me I was lying to myself.

* * *

 _When I first saw you, you became the blue of my day sky_

 _And I wanted to go full circle and become the lilac of the evening_

 _Or the iris of the morning dawn_

 _But I was afraid. I was the shed red blood of open wounds_

 _Too wounded from past experiences too chase you_

 _You were the strong vibrant blue of the ocean and crashing waves_

 _And I wanted to be the bold red of your fire and the sweet shade of cherries_

 _But instead I was the weak red of watered down strawberry lemonade_

 _No strength and no heart to push on_

 _Love was an alien, an unknown to me_

 _I didn't know it in my life at all_

 _I was cast away as an outcast, a lonely red_

 _For my preference of a different shade_

 _A different wavelength of my spectrum world_

 _Then what they told me I should choose_

 _No one to love or be loved by_

 _So I didn't know love, so associated with my hue_

 _When I met you I thought love should have been blue_

 _I don't know what drew me to you_

 _Was it your chiming laugh?_

 _Or your easy smiles?_

 _Or the kindness that was ready to be given away?_

 _My kindness was a hardened shell that no one would want_

 _You happiness was my greed_

 _You joy was my water for my parched throat_

 _And I wanted nothing but to make you happy_

 _I wanted to be strong so I pushed myself harder_

 _I rose to the top for the hopes of being noticed_

 _For the hope of becoming the red of roses_

 _Beautiful and loved and seen_

 _But instead I was noticed as a rival_

 _And I accepted it_

 _Better to be noticed as a rival_

 _Then be forever ignored_

 _I loved blue_

 _It was the color of the sky and of the water_

 _Of healing ice and saving diamonds_

 _But I was red_

 _And red is a painful color of burning_

 _And diseased skin and dying hearts_

 _I wanted to be the good red_

 _But I wasn't good enough for you_

 _I wouldn't be good enough for blue_

 _We could'be made the lilac sky or_

 _Playful violets and sweet lavender_

 _Mulberries and wine and lovely amethyst_

 _Instead my fear was a wall_

 _That a weak shade of red could not climb_

 _So won't you, oh won't you_

 _Be the strong blue, be the useful blue_

 _And pull me out of this pit of dying red_

 _Where I've cast my connection and feelings for dead_

 _All for you, for you,_

 _My one true blue._


	2. Chapter 2

The last words of the poem rang a little in my head after I finished processing them.

What. The. _Hell._

While Keith was better then me at a lot of things, I always considered myself the one that was the romantic, the suave one, the one who was good with words and hearts (and I still am), but this? This was beyond something I could ever do.

I was good at talking. I was good at communicating with emotion. But I was terrible at putting it on paper, which was why I was a little surprised to find this.

My chest warmed, and a fuzzy tingle was rising in my head. A strange heat crept up my neck and onto my cheeks, and suddenly I was giggling and blushing like one of those school girls in those cheesy romance novels.

 _Shit. SHIT SHIT SHIT._

There was no mistaking it; my competitive dislike/like situation had evolved into a crush. It was the same sensation I experienced during junior high, when I was into people like Jennifer Lawrence and Johnny Depp (yeah, I was going through a 'whatever works' stage of bisexuality, and I still am. Sue me.). Except this time, it was on my teammate and claimed competition. There was no way I would be able to do my work as a paladin now, not when I was growing a childish obsession over Keith.

As I was mulling these knew discoveries over, a sudden banging shocked me out of my stupor. Keith was knocking on Blue's jaw.

"Open up! It's time for dinner!"

Oh fuck me.

Not only was I trapped between my new love interest and my robot cat, I couldn't walk out with Keith's notebook on me and get caught with it. I had to get it back to Keith's room before he noticed anything.

Except…I also wanted to keep reading. A quick scan through the pages told me that there were more poems there, and I wasn't about to ignore them. An idea flashed in my head, and I snatched my opportunity.

I pulled out my phone. It hadn't been in the best shape since we left Earth, what with falling down waterfalls and stuff, but Pidge fixed it to be like new for me. While it's usefulness was inferior compared to the Altean tech, it still had a camera. Which is what I needed.

I started snapping pictures of the pages I didn't read, trying to get them as clear as possible before moving on. All the while, I heard Keith still calling and tapping on Blue.

"Come on man, I know you're in there. Are you jacking off or something?"

"Wow, rude. Give a guy some privacy man!" I called back, too busy copying to think of a good comeback.

"You're not denying it! You better be clean when you come out!"

Click. Last page saved away. I stuffed the phone and notebook into my pocket and opened the door.

"Took you long enough." Keith was waiting for me, looking impatient and edgy as ever. "They're all waiting for us, come on."

And we're walking. Just walking, side by side. I can't help but sneak glances at him, to see how he's acting. And surprisingly? He looks the same as ever. Just calm, ordinary Keith. Keith that has a crush on me. Keith with piercing eyes that could be blue or violet or any color in between, Keith with the sculpted chest and arms that weren't prominent like Shiro's but more suited for hugging.

"What are you looking at me for?"

 _Abort. ABORT ABORT ABORT FUCK YOU DONE FUCKED UP_

"NOthiNG." I said, though it came out like a strangled squeak. "Your mullet is dumb."

"Stop hating on my damn hair, okay? It's not as dumb as you."

"Hey! I'm the one that at least knows how to be clean!"

"You're the one that's obsessed with exfoliating and pedicures! I know perfectly well how to stay clean!"

"You're just lucky you got naturally smooth skin you selfish quiznack! Think about the rest of us sometimes, pretty boy!"

Silence. He stares at me, confusion in his face. "Did you just call me-"

"Petty boy! I called you petty boy! I'm going to go wash up!" I sprint off toward the direction of the bedrooms, inwardly dying of relief. I never got closer to a heart attack then at that moment.

I skid to a halt at Keith's room and slapped the button. My legs carried me in and over the random hills of towels on the ground before the door was all the way open, and I dropped the notebook back on the bed and dumped a towel over it before racing out again. I gave myself a mental pat on the back and sped off in the direction of the dining room.

* * *

"You're late."

The first words that greeted me came from Shiro's mouth. He looked vaguely annoyed and disappointed, like a dad at a son that came home past curfew. Allura and Coran were watching me with similar expressions, Hunk had a look of I-expected-this-but-I'm-still-annoyed-a-little-bit' look, and Pidge was completely oblivious to everything with their usual laptop in front of them. Keith was eating quietly, not looking up.

"Um, sorry? I lost track of the time." I mumbled in apology, refusing to meet Shiro's eyes. After being away from home for so long, I couldn't look at Shiro without seeing my own mom sometimes. Sometimes that wasn't a good thing either. "It won't happen again." I added quickly.

Shiro just sighed tiredly and gestured toward my empty seat between Keith and Hunk. "We'll talk about this later. Your dinner's getting cold."

I plopped myself down at my chair, grateful it hadn't been any worse. Now that I was out of the danger zone between Shiro, Keith, and that damned notebook, I was suddenly aware that I was ravenous. Half of the green goop portion on my plate that tasted like heaven (thanks to Hunk) was inhaled before I remembered to dinner was awkwardly quiet, Allura and Shiro talking in hushed voices, Pidge clicking away at their keyboard between bites, and Hunk and Keith silent beside me. I couldn't take it.

"So guys…what'd I miss?"

Keith lets out a chocked cough, and I land a good smack on his back. He coughs a bit more, eyes watering, before answering in a faint voice.

"You almost killed me there. What the quiznack is up with you?"

"I was just trying to make conversation." I replied. I turn to Hunk instead. "What about you, buddy?"

"You didn't miss much. But there was a mini race being held as we were looking for you."

"Aw really? I'm touched you guys would think of that for me. Usually it's for Pidge." Pidge had the habit of falling asleep in unconventional places, so most mornings resulted in a hide-and-seek game.

"When I do it, at least it's because I was doing something useful." Came Pidge's muffled reply around a mouthful of food. Keith laughed softly into his drink.

"They got you there."

"Are you implying that I'm not useful? I'm the one that shot Sendak's arm off and found the blue lion!" I retorted automatically. It felt good and natural, just bickering. Give a good reason why I was blushing, at Keith's gentle smile, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed…

"Um, no. I was the one who made the geiger counter to find the blue lion. Sorry buddy.""And I was the one that cut his arm off, you're just the one that shot him in the back." Hunk and Pidge added their statements in, rather unhelpfully. I glared at them, feeling my face reddening again.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Keith was there again, gazing at me with a mixed expression of worry and amusement, if that was even possible. I felt his eyes stare right at mine, and my face warmed up even more.

"Your face is all red. Are you sick or something?"

"I'M FINE." My voice came out a lot louder then I anticipated, and it was higher pitched as well. Shiro and Allura stopped talking and stared at me in alarm. Even Pidge stopped their work to look at me.

"No, you look like you're going to pass out. Are you allergic to anything? You should get to a cyropod. Tell me if you're allergic to anything," Babbled Hunk right away, like the mom friend that he was. Keith on the other hand, took my hand gently and pulled me to my feet, genuine concern in his eyes.

"Come on, you need the cryopod. I'll help you there."

SHIT.

My breathing sped up, and my heart hammered rapidly. His hands were soft, so soft, and his touch was gentle. My mind was numbing fast. Me being a dumbass, I reacted the only way I knew how.

"Don't touch me, asshole!"

I jerked my hand away and stepped back like I was burned. Six pairs of eyes followed the movement, but only one of them held my attention.

"Lance…" A pair of evening blue eyes, mixed with apprehension, anger, sadness, and…disappointment? Stared at me, and suddenly I had the irrational fear of them looking into my head and reading my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, shit I'm so sorry." I mumbled, but already those mesmerizing eyes were hardening to diamonds. I dropped my head. "I-I'm fine. I just- I need-I'm going to go lie down." I never ran faster in my entire life as in that moment.

* * *

Safely snuggled in my covers, away from everyone else, away from those eyes that now probably hated me, I pulled out the treasure I gained that evening. The shiny black screen of my phone revealed a weakling, someone who can't even bring himself to admit the obvious. Tears leaked down my cheeks, and my shoulders began trembling.

 _I fucked up. I fucked it up so hard. You had a chance, and you fucked it up, like the dumbass that you are._ A small voice whispered in my head, and I agreed with it. One chance, a golden moment, and instead of seizing it, I broke it past repair. My heart ached from my own stupidity, and the fact I might not be able to look at him ever again.

I brought out the photos app, and scrolled through an abnormal amount of selfies before finding the images I wanted. I smiled at the "Red/blue" poem I read earlier today, and found the next one and started to read.

 _I only knew hate until I saw you._

 _Hate was the only thing I found in the eyes of others. Hate was the only thing I was treated with. Even my mother would not look at me with warmth in her eyes._

 _And then I found you._

 _I witnessed the light in your expression and joy in your face, and I was drawn to you as a moth to that light. I would not look away, even as your flames burned my hair and seared my skin and heated my heart_

 _The first time I let myself get drawn to you was the first time I felt warmth._

 _Since then I always attempted to be seen by you, to experience that warmth again in my world of icy hate, but that warmth was so rare and fleeting, I was lucky to have for even a moment_

 _That just made me crave it more._

 _I prayed someday you would see me, and that you too would experience that addictive heat_

 _First I had to be able to create that free heat as well, to learn how to share it. I stopped hiding in a shell and began to talk, to try and generate that warmth for you_

 _Instead that made your warmth grow colder_

 _I never hated you. I never could. I never will. I only wanted the love that was the opposite of the chilliness I only knew. Even if one day you gave only ice, I would be there to sacrifice my flames._

 _Love is such a fleeting thing, and I only wanted it from you_


	3. Chapter 3

The next day was pretty awkward.

Keith wouldn't look at me in the face, and sat several seats away from me with Pidge and Hunk between us. Shiro did the dad thing where he looked up every five minutes to talk to me about things that were totally irrelevant to everything. Yeah I read that book, we all had to at Garrison. No I didn't enjoy it, it was sh- it was stupid.

Hunk and Pidge were more or less then same, though Pidge couldn't talk or look at me with a straight face for more then five minutes and get a coughing fit. Allura and Coran treated me like a bomb about to blow any minute now.

Finally, after ten dad questions, four coughing fits, and Keith just not looking at me, I broke. "What's going on? What are you guys doing?"

Pidge burst into laughter the minute I asked my question. Shiro had the oh-no-here-it-comes face, and Hunk just sighed and put down his cup.

"Because you're gay. For Keith. And some of us are having a bit of trouble handling that." Was Hunk's reply.

Shit. All aboard the instant regret train, this is your conductor speaking. I dropped my spoon halfway to my mouth, and I saw Keith put down his spoon as well and bury his face in his hands.

"I-how- What do you mean I'm gay? I'm not gay. Definitely not for Keith. What makes you think I'm gay?" I started rambling, hands waving animatedly as I felt that familiar flush on my face. Pidge started wheezing.

"It's kinda obvious Lance. You were blushing the moment Keith started talking to you, and you ran out the second you guys held hands. No offense, but you have a crush on him." Hunk explained, perfectly calm and as if my entire being wasn't being crushed under a rock. Pidge was on the ground now, rolling and gasping and cackling. I made a mental note to get back at them later.

"That doesn't mean anything! Maybe I was hot or something!"

"Me and Pidge fixed the AC a while ago, and it's been working ever since."

"Maybe I was having an allergic reaction!"

"Then you would've gone to the cryopod instead of hiding in your room."

"Maybe I was mad and uncomfortable at Keith!"

"For what? We've all taken shots at you before, and that was the first time I've seen you act like that. Admit it, you like him."

At this, Pidge finally got control and sat up, heaving breaths. Tears streamed down their face.

"Oh my god, admit it. You're worse then Matt when he sees his crush at the mall. You have a crush on Keith, and you know it."

Damn. They got me there.

I didn't even realize that I was standing up, and the whole room was silent except for Pidge's soft giggling. There was a dull roar in my ears, and I noticed that Keith's ears were redder then his jacket.

And my mind being utter shit for cute stuff, went _That's the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my life._

Which is not the thing you should be thinking of when you're being publicly humiliated for someone that's supposedly your rival. Shiro finally started to talk.

"Lance. There's nothing to be ashamed of, it's perfectly fine if you're gay. You're still the same Lance to us, gay or not."

"That is-I'm not-" But Allura cut me off.

"On Altea, there is no law dictating that it is illegal to be gay. However, there is a ritual performed when admitting your love, in which you lengthen your ears and pattern them with the color that is favored by your significant other." She started staring at my ears, like she was expecting them to start growing any second now.

"I-That's- I'm not-"

"We don't carry any condoms guys, so you're gonna have to wait until we find substitutes or until we get back to earth." Giggled Pidge, looking like the evil Santa's elf that they were.

"Oh my god!"

Keith finally snapped and pushed away from the table. He ran from the room toward the training room, leaving me to stand there angry and confused. I couldn't believe what just happened, and I barely noticed when my legs carried me away from the table in Keith direction.

 _This is a terrible idea. This is a terrible idea. This is a terrible idea._

But you know, why not?

* * *

Sparring was Keith's specialty.

Out of all of us, he was the most accomplished at hand-to-hand sparring right next to Shiro. Now, I watched him dance through the blows of the training bot, his bayard singing through the air as he parried and struck and cut. The ending blow was a slice to the neck, and the bot burst into the holographic shards of light that it was.

I couldn't help it; I started clapping.

Of course, Keith was surprised to see me standing by the doorway, and his face flushed red again right up to his ears.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He snarls, and I flinch a little. Even after all those arguments we had, he never looked at me with this much contempt before. My resolve faltered a little.

"I'm sorry." Was all I could mumble. My speech that I had prepared in my trip here was put to waste by those eyes, those burning eyes. Bluer then heaven, and with more hate then hell.

Those eyes that were melting me.

His eyes didn't soften, but he did relax his defensive pose and deactivate his bayard, which was a relief. I pushed on.

"They're not wrong."

He jerks like he was hit by an electric shock. He glares at me, and this time I saw the promise of a death wish somewhere. But I was on a roll, and I wasn't about to lose it.

"I really do have a crush on you. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I acted like that last night, and I'm sorry for having it lead up to…that." I said lamely. Keith hasn't moved, and I felt like a mouse about to see heaven under the eyes of a cat. Suddenly I kind of understood what my neighbor's grandma said about cats being Satan's pets.

"I'm sorry that I was a dick. I should've acted better last night. And I should've done something earlier to keep you away from that scene. But...I really do like you. And I was wondering...do you like me?"

My words could've come from the mouth of my ten year old sister, but it was too late to change them. I held my breath and watched Keith's reaction carefully.

But I could've been talking to a rock for all the effort I made. No reaction followed the initial jerk, and instead he maintained that constant glare for the long time while I stood there.

Finally he turned his back on me and walked to the center of the training room. "Start training sequence five." He said aloud, and started battling the new bot. I was completely ignored.

I went to my room to curl up under the covers and register the events that had just occured. My entire brain felt numb, and the only thoughts that passed through was that the coldness Keith dealt was intentional. That that was my punishment, a bitterness worse then hell. It could be considered a miracle compared to the physical ass-whooping I had been expecting, but I partially wished that he beat me up instead of this.

The second thought was of one of the poems I read last night.

 _I was meant for Hell the moment I was born_

 _You were an angel, destined for Heaven the moment you saw light_

 _I wanted to be with you, to stay true to you_

 _But that would mean dragging you down with me._

 _I wanted to see the light that you offered,_

 _The glow that was warmth,_

 _The peace that was joy,_

 _But I only knew darkness and sorrow,_

 _Planted there by people who did not care_

 _You were someone who cared_

 _Offered to help me to Heaven,_

 _While playing gentle roughness_

 _I didn't understand, and instead_

 _I pushed you away for fear of corrupting you_

 _I never wanted pain_

 _I never wanted Hell_

 _I would gladly go through it many times_

 _If it meant seeing you to Heaven_


	4. Chapter 4

Fire.

It was everywhere, ugly yellow-gray flames licking the surface of the barren planet. Me and Blue blasted ice at the dancing lights, attempting to quell the heat, but the fire was faster. It surged up and surrounded us, bathing us, and we were suffocating in the sulfur-smelling smoke as our very bodies melted.

And suddenly it was lessening. We flew up and saw Red, roaring fire at fire, except Red's flames were a vibrant ruby-red that put out the yellow ones like ice cubes before sunlight. The heat given off by Red's fire was warm, but gentle, and we were caressed by it like being hugged.

It was nice, just being hugged. Being held in a gentle warmth that lulled me like a lullaby, but my eyes opened and I saw the inside of the cockpit melting. I looked at my hand, and the armor was melting right off of it, and next came skin, and flesh, and even the bone was reduced to a blackened ash, even though I felt no pain. And somewhere, a voice screeched in my head, screaming words that hurt more then the yellow flames.

 _No..help…I'm sorry…_ I tried to say, to scream, but my tongue and lips are reduced to puddles of burning oil that I choke on. I was drowning in this fire that comforted me.

But the red fire bore into my eyes and I blacked out.

* * *

"ATTENTION PALADINS. GET TO YOUR LIONS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL." Allura's voice blared through the intercom.

I jerked, and my head shot up and banged against the ceiling of my bunk. I cursed and rubbed the egg that was forming, before leaping out from under the covers and quickly changing into my armor. As I tossed my jacket onto the bed, my phone fell out and landed with a soft thump on my pants.

 _Nope. Bad idea._ I thought immediately, even as I snatched up the phone and tucked it away inside my armor. Hey, why not?

Hold close what I have left of Keith, when the real thing is giving me the cold shoulder.

* * *

I rushed into the main control room to meet up with the rest of the crew, and found all of them already there, with similar grim faces. Allura stood at her console, hands on the controls. Before us, technicolor lasers slapped against the prismic shield, leaving explosions in their wake. Dozens of Galran drones shot around the ship. and I saw a large fleet far off.

"Paladins, to your lions. We're engaging in battle." She said, eyes not leaving the scene. We didn't need telling twice and launched ourselves at our lions.

* * *

Me and Blue shot ice rays at the drones, successfully freezing at least half a dozen of them. We leaped between laser shots, and sank Blue's fangs into another passing drone. Nearby, Keith erupted fire from Red's maw, melting a couple drones from the heat.

 _They're strong._ Blue purred in my head. _We have good teammates._

 _Yeah._ I thought back. _If only they didn't hate me._

 _They don't._ Blue replied. _Red told me Keith still cares deeply about you, but his temper is building a wall. He needs time away, but he will be the same soon._

 _Really? You really think so?_ Even in my head, I couldn't help but think that those words were the words of five year old Lance, not paladin Lance. I pushed away Blue's mechanic vibration in frustration, and then clumsily dodged a kamikaze drone that was heading for Keith.

I fired a blast at the drone, but it was fast. And instead, that icy ray hit-

"Keith!"

Even though I cut off the ray quickly, a chunk of ice now sat on Red's back paw, sending Keith and Red tumbling right into the direction of the Galran fleet. I shot after them.

'Keith! Hang on buddy, I got you!" I bumped Blue's head against Red's side and began pushing them away from the ship, even as explosions happened against Blue's back and jolted me around in the cockpit.

"Lance! What the hell are you doing!" Keith's voice echoed out from my helmet, furious and also concerned.

"What does it look like dumbass! I'm trying to get you out of the danger zone!" I hissed back, as a blast almost knocked me and Blue off balance.

"Stop it! You're going to die!" This time the voice was more worry then anger. Red began wiggling, but I refused to let up.

"You do this sort of stuff all the time, okay! Now shut up and let me save your life!" Was my retort. We were almost back to where the rest of the paladins were fighting. A little more, and we'd be able to get the ice off Red's leg without heavy danger.

"Lance. Lance! LANCE LOOK OUT!" Keith's voice shrieked in my head, full of hysteria now. Too late, I realized that there was another Galran fleet now hovering above us.

Suddenly, me and Blue were shot away from Red and Keith. I looked, and I realized that Keith and Red had kicked us away, and now were being drawn in by the malevolent tractor beam.

"NO!"

"Lance, don't! We'll get him, I promise!" Came Shiro's voice, desperate and anguished. He spoke too late, because I already launched toward Red's unmoving body.

Hunk and Yellow came out of no where and stopped right in my path, bumping into Blue. We spun off course a little, then righted ourselves.

"Hunk, come on! They're taking Keith!"

"We can't lose another paladin. Focus on blowing the ship up, and we'll be able to get him out!" But even as Hunk said that, I noticed the shimmering along the edges of the ship, flickering lights of every shade of purple.

"They're going into hyperspace!" I cried, and immediately Shiro's voice called back.

"Are you sure? How can you tell? Lance, I forbid you to do anything rash-"

Sorry Shiro.

I had Blue force me from the cockpit, and the rocket thrusters on my back carried me to the not-yet-closed bay door where Red and Keith was. I just made it in even as the heavy metal clanged shut, and a loud whoosh filled my ear drums. There was a window on the door, and I peeked out.

I caught one glimpse of Blue, empty of a Pilot and being guarded by Hunk, before hyperspace dissolved the image in a swirl of bright rainbow.

* * *

Crouched in the darkness, in a corner of the bay, I watched the Galran droids bang at the red force field surrounding Red's body.

 _Why wasn't Keith doing anything?_

I tried to make contact with him through the comm in my helmet, but all I got was a low groan. He was knocked out.

 _Come on Keithy boy. You serious?_

If Keith was injured in the cockpit, then I had to get him out of here as soon as possible and back to the castle. But Galran droids surrounded Red, and I was hiding between a metal wall and a barrel.

Fear overtook me. My fingers started tapping on the floor, and my foot jumped against the ground. Sweat dripped into my eyes, and my breathing sped up. I was stuck, with no way to help Keith, on an enemy ship. I had no idea where the ship was, and even if I did get to Red, how would I get Keith and Red out of here? I wasn't the pilot of Red, and if Keith was too injured to pilot, we would still be stuck.

 _You stupid fuck up. Look at you. Fucked up again._ A tiny voice murmured in my head, and tears pricked my eyes. I blinked them away furiously,

No time to be crying over mistakes. Right now, I had to make a plan. I carefully edged my way up the metal wall, using the rocket pack every now and then. All the droids were to busy on Red to notice me shimmy into an air vent.

I wasn't small like Pidge, but I'd always been skinny, enough so to slide in. From there, I watched the red sphere of Red's field, pulsing gently.

"Mmmhmm…Lance…."

I jumped; Keith's voice was mumbling in my ear. "Keith?! Keith! Are you okay?!" I choked back, ready to sob with relief.

"Lance…ow….You shouldn't be here."

"Well I'm here now dummy. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Coughing. "Ugh…my ribs…I think they're broken. My head hurts." The voice murmured, sounding sleepy. "Lance…I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you idiot. I'm going to get you out, just stay put." I whispered back. But my heart ached; he was so close, yet so far.

"No, Lance. I'm sorry I was like that. I'm sorry I was mean to you for telling the truth. I feel the same way." His voice was slow, tired. A part of my mind was rejoicing; it's not everyday when Keith apologizes, but the rest of me was just worried. What would happen if Keith fell asleep? I had to keep him talking.

"Listen, I know. I know you feel the same way okay? Just relax." I said back, analyzing my quickest path down. Would Red open up to me? Would I be able to get within the field without getting caught?

Now Red was talking, or growling more like. _Lance, he is in pain. But he is afraid of sleep. I will see to it that the sleep is not forever, but you must help him rest._

Oh. Okay. I'm supposed to let him sleep. I felt like a dumbass.

"Keith, listen. You need to rest. I'll talk to you later, 'kay buddy?" I hoped that would suffice.

"No! No, don't go." His voice was strong, forceful, angry now, before dissolving in a series of wet coughs. I didn't want to know what was making his cough wet. Also, now I had a stubborn Keith that was dying and I was still stuck on what to do.

"Okay, okay I won't go." Pause. How the hell do you get a teenager to go to sleep? Sing them a lullaby?

Hey…that might actually work. I got an idea.I pulled my phone out from inside my armor (not easy, let me tell you. Especially when you're stuck in an air vent). I pulled up one of Keith's poems.

"Keith, I'm going to read to you okay? And you're going to go to sleep because you need it."

"Lance-"

Too late. I already started reading, keeping a rhythmic beat to my words.

* * *

 _Fire is such a terrible thing._

 _It burns and destroys, ruins everything in its path. It leaves scars that never heal, it burns away will to live._

 _That is why I always preferred ice._

 _Fire burns hurts. When it kills, it kills through pain. It leaves ugly marks, ruins nerves, and hurts._

 _Ice heals burns. Ice is cool against the burn. Ice kills gently, through sleep. It doesn't leave marks and preserves bodies in eternal rest_

 _Which is why you are killing me._

 _You were ice, and you healed the burns left on me. You cooled the fire that ate away my happiness, my ability to love._

 _I wanted you. I wanted you to soothe my pain, even as the flames ate away my life. But I was also afraid_

 _I was afraid if I got too close you would melt away._

 _So I stood and watched, always wanting and never receiving. Starving for it yet scared to feed. As you stood strong and welcomed and healing, I burned away everything._

 _I wanted you_

 _I was afraid of you_

 _Because even if you could soothe this pain, you would still extinguish me._

 _Would it be worth it? To have you end this suffering? Would it be worth it? To live on but with the knowledge you would never know me? I don't know._

 _All I know is that someday, somehow, you would be the end of me_

 _Someday, somehow, I'll tell you I love you_

 _Until that day I'll burn_


	5. Chapter 5

As my eyes finished left the last word on my phone screen, my ears were suddenly aware of the silence that was Keith.

"Uhh, hello?" I spoke into the comm, but I was met with more silence. I started freaking out. Did he die? Was he in a coma? What?

 _He is fine._ Red's reassuring purr echoed in my head. _He is asleep._

"Oh." Relief overflowed my mind. He was safe, for now. And now I can figure out how to get out of here.

Er, somehow.

A small, bottle shaped bulb hanging a little over the door to the bay caught my eye. I tapped my helmet visor, and the tiny bottle thing was magnified. I could see that it as peppered in little holes.

 _What the hell…_ and then another voice burst to life.

"Lance! Lance, are you there?!"

Shiro was practically yelling into my ear. I slapped my hands down over both sides of my helmet (a pretty stupid move, considering it wouldn't do anything).

"Jesus Shiro, you're gonna take out my hearing." I hissed, though I was kind of ready to cry with happiness. Yay, help!

Except help was in the form of the dadliest mom-friend ever. I could practically smell the paternal disappointment from here. Ladies and gentlemen, brace for impact.

Impact didn't come. I guess it's thanks to the fact that I was stuck on an enemy ship with an injured friend without my lion? But Shiro seemed to be more relieved then angry when his reply again.

"Thank the stars. Lance, what is your position? Is Keith okay? Have you guys been captured?"

"Position is stuck, Keith is stable, and no." I answered Shiro's frantic questions. "Right now Keith is, uh, sleeping in his lion, and I'm in Pidge mode."

Even from here I heard the muffled 'hey' that was Pidge. My visor lit up blue, and Pidge's nerdy hacking icon swam in front of my eyes. They were trying to access the viewing system in my helmet, but usually it didn't require any hacking assistance. Something was wrong.

"Hey Pidge, something's up. Why haven't you guys started using my camera yet?"

"There's interference. Also, what did you mean by 'Pidge mode'?"

"It means I'm hiding in an air vent. I can't really go anywhere else but out, and out is in front of a bunch of mean people. By the way, I have a question."

"Fire away."

"What the heck is this?" I sent the image of the weird bulb thing. The clicking of Pidge's keyboard told me they were running a search.

"That's a fire extinguisher." Shiro's voice cut in again. "If it's activated, it fills the room with foam. You activate it with intense heat or smoke."

"So basically, it's the opposite of a bath bomb." I muttered to myself, now staring at the fire extinguisher with new interest. Activated by fire instead of water, and causes more grief then fun. Perfect for a couple of Galran troops.

"Lance, whatever you're thinking about, don't do it." Here it was. The play-it-safe Hunk. Wondering when he'd show up.

"What's that buddy? I suddenly can't read anymore. Come again?" I used my p-reply, nicknamed so because it always pissed off everyone within hearing range. As I did so, I pulled out my bayard and took aim.

"Lance, I swear to god I will-" But the rest of his words we cut off by the sound of my blaster shot, and then a loud explosion and _phssshhh_ as the entire bay was filled with a grayish foam. I could hear the wondrous sound of Galran droids bumping around and tripping.

"Oh Lance, don't tell me…" Exasperation filled Shiro's reply, but I was too busy scootching out of the vent to care.

"Sorry Shiro." I landed right in front of a tottering droid and broke it's neck with a swift smash from my gun. "It was too tempting."

* * *

Three minutes later, every Galra droid was fit for scrap metal. And I had approximately thirty seconds before another troop of these guys marched through the door. Which meant I had thirty seconds to get Keith out and get the hell outta here.

I rushed to the red sphere surrounding Red and started tapping away. "Hey Red, can you hear me? It's time to go."

No reply.

"Red, didja hear me? It's time to go."

Still nothing. I could hear metal feet pounding my way. I fired a shot at the door mechanism and shut it, but that wouldn't hold against a troop of Galran soldiers. Meanwhile, Red was still silent and unmoving.

"RED! Open up, okay!? Come on, we have to get out of here!"

 _BANG. BANG. BANG._ Large craters appeared on the metal door. We couldn't stay, not now. But Red was no more then a metal statue.

"Red. Listen. I'm NOT you're paladin. I'm not Keith. You shouldn't have to open up to me, I know, but right now we have to go. For Keith's sake." A low moan came from my comm, and I identified it as my unconscious buddy. My heartbeat quickened and skipped a beat.

"RED YOU STUPID SHIT OPEN UP." I screamed finally, slamming my fists against the unyielding red light. I was frustrated and scared, for myself and for Keith. I didn't know how much longer we had until that door behind me opened, and I certainly didn't want to find out.

At last, a hole appeared in the force field just big enough for me to push through, and I squeezed in just as the door finally came down and a purple laser burst against the shimmering redness right next to my head.

Red's chrome jaw dropped open for me to walk in. I hurried inside, even as more Galran dudes aimed and shot at the reactivated force field, creating a dull thudding background noise. Inside, I saw Keith's silhouette propped against his seat.

"Keith." I breathed out. I felt ecstatic and ready to pass out, but I stumbled forward. Only to stop and step back.

There was something off about him. I couldn't see him properly, not in the dim red light, but something was wrong. Standing behind him, I couldn't place it, but his shadow was misshapen ever so slightly, and there was a different sensation in the air, a sensation I only once experience before. When I was Sendak's prisoner during his short control of the castle.

Dread filled me, but I ignored it. I stepped forward to the front, to look at Keith dead in the face. His helmet had fallen off, and a thin trickle of blood ran down his face from his scalp. But that wasn't the most shocking change.

Sprouting from his head were a pair of large, fluffy ears, dark purple in color, and his skin was a lighter shade of lilac. And under his half closed eyelids, I saw a gleam of yellow.

The realization hit me harder then any punch ever landed on me. The person sitting before me, with it's ragged breathing and rasped breath, was my love interest and rival Keith.

This person before me was Galran.

* * *

 _I was afraid of truths that shouldn't be told_

 _I was afraid of the pain that would follow if I told them_

 _So I hid like a turtle, afraid of everything_

 _I was afraid that if I spoke,_

 _If I talked,_

 _If I interacted,_

 _All the words would spill like a waterfall,_

 _No control or thought,_

 _And everyone would leave me and cast me away_

 _I don't know how I hid_

 _I don't know how I was human_

 _But after I realized I was one of them_

 _I was afraid_

 _I was afraid no longer of being detained as a freak,_

 _A monster in a lab_

 _Now I was afraid of being regarded as an enemy_

 _As something hated_

 _As something to be shot and thrown away_

 _I was mostly afraid of you_

 _I was afraid you wouldn't look at me,_

 _Wouldn't laugh with me,_

 _Wouldn't talk with me_

 _I was afraid you wouldn't be happy_

 _You would be cruel_

 _You would be a rival_

 _So I hid myself in a cocoon_

 _Fought the hardest to avoid suspicion_

 _And acted the most aware to gain trust_

 _I don't want to lose that trust_

 _I don't want to be a monster_

 _I am afraid of it_

 _I am afraid of me_

 _I am afraid_


	6. Chapter 6

_He's Galran._

Blood pounded in my head, in time to the pounding outside.

 _He's Galran._

My breathing was shorter and ragged, and my mind was numbing over. I felt like I was drowning, drowning in this newfound information that was impossible.

 _He's Galran._

"Keith." I whisper quietly, out of shock, and I see those inhuman ears twitch at the sound, ever so slightly. That small movement caused my hand to tighten on my bayard, my muscles to tense up.

"Uhnngh... _Lance_?"

I relax; same old Keith voice. Just softer and more emotional, which was logical considering the circumstances. Maybe I was stressed. Maybe that extinguisher foam made me high. Maybe I was being stupid, and Keith is still Keith, same old human Keith.

"Oh sweet-Jesus-fuck, are you okay?! Are you alright?! Talk to me here!" I burst, all the tears I'd been holding back are now leaking out, dripping onto the floor. I'm not even ashamed when my voice seriously cracks right in the middle, and I end up falling onto my knees, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. I feel his hand on my head, and hear him softly mumbling "It's okay, it's okay, you're okay." Over and over and over.

"Look at me. Being helped by the one I'm supposed to be helping." I finally sniffed, after the worst of the sobs had passed. I manage to force myself onto one knee and cupped Keith's face in my hands. His lightly fuzzed, purple face lined with dark blood. Those eyes, now a bright, sunshine yellow, flicker under partly-closed eyelids as he struggles to keep them open. His left ear droops in exhaustion, and he's trying not to wince when he breathes.

But he's smiling, a gentle smile that makes me grin too, despite the situation. Distantly, I realize it's the same smile he had when he was helping me up, back when we just finished taking down Sendak back at the Castle. Except this time, the roles have swapped.

"Hey." He whispers quietly. "Wondering when you'd get here." He coughs, and dots my white armor with dark speckles. And my head gets kicked unpleasantly back to the present.

"Holy shit. Are you okay?" I'm talking quietly now, and I've got no idea why. My hands are on his shoulders, and I'm pushing him gently against his seat. There's almost no resistance whatsoever, and I stand up to make sure he's not going to tip over suddenly, he's so limp. His head lolls a little, and he coughs again, weakly.

"M'ribs...ow. I hit my head somewhere..." He groans painfully, and I feel my heart crack a little. Evil purple kitty or not, he looked so _hurt_ , that I couldn't help feeling another cry session coming on.

Except the cry session would have to wait. I was suddenly aware of how the background noise of guns on solid light was gone, and would it be to optimistic to hope they gave up?

Unfortunately, yes. When I turned around, the troops were busy with what looked like a giant net. A giant, evil-purple-glowy net that they were wrapping around the sphere like a five-year-old wrapping a Christmas gift. They did it tightly too, and I saw one unfortunate droid get crushed like a can between the net and the shield.

"Um...that's not good." I tapped into the group comm on my helmet. "Guys...what is that?"

"Give us a tick." Pidge said shortly. Their blue icon popped up again, and I waited anxiously as it spun hypnotically around my visor. Keith coughed again, and I swear my heart stops beating for a minute.

"Pidge! _Hurry up_." I hiss through gritted teeth; just watching Keith was putting me in physical pain. And knowing I couldn't do anything about it wasn't helping my current emotional state.

"Right right... Here." The icon disappeared and I heard the muted sounds of conversation on the other end. It was probably only a few minutes long, but it stretched like hours. Every second was another painful breath, every half-minute, another broken cough, every pained movement another heart attack.

"Lance? Lance? Are you there?" Coran's voice echoed around my head, taking several moments for me to absorb the meaning in it. I blink; then tear my gaze away from Keith to pick up the helmet again and direct it at the cockpit window.

"Yeah, I'm here. Do you have any idea what they're doing?"

"Unfortunately, I do. That's a Spockuleian hunting net, but they seem to have enhanced the durability of it with Wholockilian Paniemo energy and quintessence."

"Yeah, um, English please. I don't have a galactical Google thing right now."

"What in the universe is.. eelglick and gogoald? But the point is, that is a net that's almost impossible to escape, being made out of one of the toughest materials known in all the universe. If all of Voltron was assembled, maybe there'd be a chance...but I doubt that would be possible with one Lion."

"Ugh." I looked out the window with a strengthened sense of distaste, if that was possible. Red was the fastest Lion out of all of us, but the chances of being able to dart out of the net right after deactivating the force field were slim, and even slimmer with an injured pilot.

"Well, can you send the rest of the lions in through a wormhole or something? Break through, form Voltron, break out?"

"That's a negative. We're barely able to access the viewing system on your helmet right now, we have no idea where you are." "Also, the castle's taken a beating from that last battle, and we can barely afford enough energy to form one wormhole. We're waiting on you to hold out while we recharge." Pidge and Hunk came in, sending one of my last hopes crashing into a black hole.

"Uh, that's a negative on me too. Keith needs healing hole stat, and there's no way he can wait for much longer. Is there any way to speed the recharge process."

"There is; at the cost of the Princess's life. Our only options are for you to wait for us, or we wait for you. You wait for us to come get you out, or you break out yourselves." Came Coran's somber reply, and I felt my heart drop several inches into my stomach.

"Shit." I whispered, not caring if anyone heard or not. The whole situation was hopeless, and tears pricked my eyes again. I felt a sob rising in my chest, and suddenly I was six again, trying not to cry when I crashed my bike and skinned my knee. Except this hurt ten times as much as then, something stabbing at my ribs from the inside of my chest.

And then I look at Keith, and adrenaline floods my mind and the tears are blinked away unshed.

"Guys, I'm not going to give up. Keep talking on ideas, I know you're smart. One of you give me an idea on how to get Keith to be stable." I snap, voice louder then I remembered it, and more _powerful_. I hear a surprised clamor on the other end, but barely register it as I start searching around the cockpit for anything useful. A legendary robot lion, it's gotta have a medical kit _somewhere_ , right?

As I searched around, something reddish-purple and flashing popped up in my peripheral vision. I looked, and on the display screen of the cockpit was a circular icon, blinking surrealistically in the red light.

"Um, guys?" And they were there immediately, quietly conversing, and I noted the surprised tones in their voices. "What? What is it?"

"Last I saw that, was more then ten thousand years ago." Princess A's talking now, and I could practically see her stunned face in front of me. "That's a control that's only available after several years of hard training. If the paladin were willing to release some form of energy, it would provide an option to expand the force field. If Keith could do that, you could get out."

Cool. Now we had an option. But was Keith strong enough to do it? I looked at him. And then looked away again. And then looked back.

Was it just me, or was he getting fuzzier and more purple by the moment?

Also, he did not look ready to activate magic force field cat magic.

"Uh, would releasing energy be a good idea for him? He's still kinda, um..." My voice faltered. I hadn't told them anything about the new furry Keith. And I didn't know what would happen if I did.

"Um, he's pretty beat up."

"It doesn't have to me physical energy. Strong emotions have energy too. That's how the lions work. Emotions from previous paladins, all built up on top of each other, is enough to keep them moving in prime condition for millennia." Coran said. "Of course, there are other things affecting it, but emotional energy is the key factor."

"So, I just have to make him really mad or something? I can do that." I shut off the comm and turned back to Galra Keith.

Just the sight of him, so broken and weak, made me lose my will. The insult I had prepared to annoy him (hey Keith, when did you find out you were a furry?) dissolved.

 _Well, that's not going to work._

I stood there pondering, thinking. I couldn't rile him up like I usually did, not in his condition. And I didn't want to do anything that would hurt him, which basically involved all of my ideas (making him laugh till he cried, making him sad till he cried, making him mad till he cried and then punch me in the face).

Then, look! Here came a thought! And not a bad one either!

I could kiss him.

* * *

It took several minutes to decide how to go about this course of action. On one hand, I could definitely do it. I definitely _wanted_ to do it, but I was wondering more about Keith. No one likes to be kissed without consent, and even I knew that. If I did it, how would he react? Surprised, definitely. Angry, possibly. I didn't want him thinking I'd taken advantage of him.

But then again, I still needed some strong emotion from him. And based on that stuff from his book, if that wasn't strong, real emotion, I didn't know what was.

I took a deep breath and knelt down beside him. He sensed it and lifted his head up, ever so slightly, eyes flickering like dying candles. Maroon liquid still stained his cheek, but he smiled easily, drowsily.

"Hey, cargo pilot." He mumbled, and I felt that familiar flutter in my chest.

"Oh don't you flirt with me now, not when I'm trying to save your life, mullet head." I murmured back, but now I was smiling too. God damn it, this isn't going how it should be.

"Keith, listen to me. We're going to get out of here. But it's going to need you to do something. And I'm going to have to do something too." I took a deep breath, preparing myself. "I'm going to kiss you, okay? And its going to be our key out of here."

"Uh, what?" I saw his mouth moving, saw the confusion in his eyes, but then I'd already placed my lips against his.

 _Soft._

That was literally the first word in my head, when my lips touched his. For a kid who'd lived in the desert by himself for almost a year, why were his lips so damn soft?

 _Warm._

That was the second word in my head. They were so warm, like mom's hugs in winter or cup of hot cocoa.

 _Hot._

The warmness was getting hot, and I didn't know why. But I liked it, even though a part of me was freaking out about a fever or a combustion or whatever. I pushed it away; it was just a thought, and not an alarming one.

Before I'd known it, I found my hand buried in his hair. His hand was doing the same, and we just stayed like that. Nothing terribly special, looking back on it. Just a kiss. But at the time, it felt like the entire universe was spiraling into perfection.

And then it was over. As much as I hated to do so, I started tasting something metallic and hot on my tongue, and I don't know if Galran blood is poisonous or something, but I pulled away. Keith was blinking like a kid who just had his candy pulled away, and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. He's staring at me like he'd never seen anything quite like me before, and his eyes are wide like dinner plates.

"Guh...Lance?"

 _God dammit, that adorable._

"Keith, quick! Pull yourself together! We need to get out of here!" My body went on autopilot, talking and guiding Keith's hand to that glowy sphere. Our ticket out. But on the inside, my mind was something like _holy shit HOLY SHIT HOLY QUIZNAKING SHIT I KISSED HIM I KISSED HIM ON THE QUIZNAK WTF_

Outside, we watched the force field expand outwards. First slowly, then speeding up, shoving droids around and out of the way. It broke the control console, opening up the metal door beneath us. As we were sucked out into space, the forcefield kept expanding, until the net snapped and fell away like dead snakes.

"Hey guys, any moment now." I whispered into the comm, and immediately the shifting chrome-like portal opened up, and me and Keith were on our way.

* * *

 _To the stars,_

 _And back again,_

 _I would love you even when,_

 _I traveled the universe and saw,_

 _Things that were prettier, with no flaw_

 _People more beautiful, flowers of every hue_

 _But none of those things would measure up to you_

 _Because there's only one person, one of you that I know_

 _And no two stars share the same glow_

 _And no two skies that are the same blue_

 _And no two faces, like yours, to turn to_

 _Only one, only one,_

 _One that I could ever love_

 _One that I would carry,_

 _Even to the stars above_

 _One I would remember,_

 _Decades from now_

 _Memories surrounded by embers_

 _Burned into my brow_

 _So to the stars,_

 _And back again,_

 _Will you love me?_

 _Forever and then._

 **Hooooollllyyyyyy fuuuuuck. Here it is guys, chapter six. And supposedly the last chapter as well. But it's not over yet!**

 **This is just the beginning. Stay tuned, because sometime in the (hopefully) near future, the next story of this series is coming out. Because I am a clusterfuck and can't be bothered to get my life together and continue this as one multichapter fic.**

 **Anyway, next story we're going to see more interactions of our purple furry with the rest of the crew. And it's going to mcfucking hurt. But stay tuned and leave a review on how you felt about this because that's the only way I'm going to survive school. Sorry if it's a bit of a cliffhanger, I'm not a nice person.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the ride, and to my American readers: I hope the Presidential Election isn't going to kill you just yet. We still got a few months of 2016 left.**

 **Have a wonderful day/night, wherever you are!**


	7. Author Announcement! (New story!)

Hey hey hey! New story is up!

Next in this quick klance saga: A Sixpence Song! The sequel to this story. Go check it out~

 _P.S_ **leave a comment on the new story on what this series should be called, im running out of ideas lmao**

Enjoy!


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